Florrie by Anna Trench

In her groundbreaking debut graphic novel, Anna Trench weaves together two timelines that illuminate a forgotten chapter of women's sports history through an intimate lens of personal discovery and queer romance. Set against the backdrop of women's football in 1920s England, "Florrie" masterfully bridges past and present, telling a story that feels both historically significant and painfully relevant to contemporary conversations about gender and sports.
The narrative begins when Florrie's great-great-niece uncovers her aunt's hidden past as a footballer in the early 20th century. This discovery proves particularly poignant given the historical context: in 1920, women's football drew massive crowds, with over 50,000 people turning out for matches. Yet on December 5, 1921, the Football Association would effectively end this golden era, banning women from playing on FA-affiliated grounds, declaring the sport "quite unsuitable for females."
Trench's artistic prowess, honed through her work with publications like The Guardian and The Spectator, shines throughout the book. Her illustrations capture both the grit of early 20th-century football matches and the tender moments between characters with equal skill. The way she renders the period details of 1920s England shows meticulous research, while her contemporary scenes feel alive with modern energy.
What sets "Florrie" apart is how it handles its dual narrative structure. The historical timeline isn't merely a history lesson about the FA's notorious ban; it's an intimate portrait of women who dared to pursue their passions in a society determined to sideline them. The sport had flourished in the 1920s with around 150 women's teams in England, making the FA's decision to ban it all the more devastating. Through Florrie's personal story, Trench illustrates the human cost of this institutional discrimination.
The contemporary storyline, following Florrie's great-great-niece, serves as more than just a framing device. It explores how the echoes of past prejudices continue to shape present-day attitudes toward women in sports, while also examining how uncovering family histories can help us understand our own identities. The queer romance aspect of the story adds another layer of depth, highlighting how some forms of love and self-expression had to remain hidden in multiple ways.
Trench's storytelling is remarkably assured for a debut graphic novel. She never lets the historical weight of her subject matter overshadow the personal stories at the heart of the book. Her characters feel fully realized, their joys and struggles rendered with sensitivity and nuance. The parallel love stories – one past, one present – demonstrate how some battles for acceptance and understanding span generations.
"Florrie" is more than just a sports story or a romance—it's a meditation on how progress isn't linear and how the past isn't as distant as we might think. It's about the stories that get buried and the courage it takes to unearth them. In an era where women's football is finally getting its due recognition, this graphic novel serves as both a celebration of how far we've come and a reminder of what was lost along the way.
The book's shortlisting for the LDComics Award comes as no surprise, as these awards recognise groundbreaking work by women-identifying artists in graphic novels. Trench's contribution to this growing canon of feminist graphic literature feels especially significant, given how it illuminates a crucial but often overlooked chapter in women's sports history.
For readers interested in sports history, LGBTQ+ stories, or simply beautifully crafted graphic narratives, "Florrie" delivers on all fronts. It's a remarkable debut that announces Trench as a major new voice in graphic literature, one who understands how to use the medium's unique capabilities to tell stories that need to be told.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48 [Delivered to You 1st Week July 2025]
Publisher:  Jonathan Cape
Published: June 19, 2025
Hardcover: 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1787335666
ISBN-13: 978-1787335660
Dimensions: 173 x 246 (mm)